Smut-machine.



IPATENTED APR. 16, 1907 a SHEETS-$23151 1.

0. L LARSON.

SMUT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED nmza, 1906 No. 850,378. PATENTED APR. 16, 1907. 0. L. LARSON.

SMUT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

{i k/again m No. 850,378. PATENTED APR. 16. 1907.

' O. L. LARSON.

$MUT MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.29, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. I

in-" irnn r orrrojs.

ULE L. LARSON, F lillNNEAPOLlS, MINNESOTA.

No. aware.

fif-pecifieation 01 Letters Patent.

Patented April 16, l 907.

application filed January 29,1906. Serial No. 298.426.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient sn1utmachine for treating wheat and other grain with a solution of formaldehyde or other germde stroying liquid; and to the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is aplan view of the improved machine. same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the machine on the line m as of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a detail in transverse section, taken on the line r :0 of Fig. 3.

The germ-destroying solution 2 is contained in a hopper-like tank 1, that is supported by a framework 2 and, as shown, is provided with vertically-extended side boards 3. A seed box or he per l is sup orted by the framework 2 an by the side-hoard extensions 3 with its downturned-portion lo- 1elated above the intermediate portion of the 0 per 1.

- n the bottom of its lower portion. the seedhopper 4 is provided with a discharge--pas sage 5 and with a depending discharge-spout 6, that leads downward from said passage 5 and terminates below the level of the liquid 2. The said discharge-passage!) is ada ted tobe opened and closed to any desire( extent by a cutoff gate that is siidably secured to the inclined bottom of said hopper by a thurnb-nut and bolt 8 or other suitable-device. i

An inclined deck 9, having sides 10, is extended nearly to the bottom of the hopperlike liquid-tank 1, passes under the discharge-spout 6 and seed-hopper 4, and terminates at the rear of the frame 2. This inclined deck 9 and its sides 10 are im erforate, and the former is provided with ongitudi- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the will presently appear.

nallv-extended cleats 1'1 fora ur ose which The numeral 12 indicates a pair of parallel. laterally-spaced link belts or chains that run over sprockets 13 and 14:, carried, respectively, by shafts 15 and 16, journ'aled in the I lower and upper portions of the sides 10 of the inclined deck 9. The two chains 12 carry transverse slats 17, which as they are moved upward on the under side of the con.- veyer made up of said chains and slats rest upon and slide over the cleats 11 on the inclined deck 9. These cleats 11 hold the slats 17 slightly out of engagement with the inclined deck 9 and permit the water, which is raised with the grain, to run back into the tank, butdo not space the said slats from the deck far enough to permit the treated grain.

to run back under the said slats. .While the slats are performing their work of lifting the grain from the liquid in the tank to the upper end of the deck 9 the ends thereof pass under guide-strips 18 on the side boards 10 and are thereby held to their work against the cleats 11.

Mounted in suitable hearings in the side extensions 3, approximately above the lower portion of the endless conveyor made up of the chains 127an'd slats 17, is a shaft 19, as shown, in: the form of a bar, having projecting trunnions or rounded ends 20. To the intermediate portion of the shaft 19 1 is rigidly secured a pair of laterally-spaced diametrically-extended arms 21, each of which is shown as made up of. a pair of slats. To the opposite ends of the arms 21 is secured. a pauof skimmer-blades 22, which, as shown, are clam ed between and rigidly secured to the en s of the slats that make up the said arms. These skimnienblades 22 are preferably slightly flexible. They may be made of thin spring metal, or they may be provided at their ed es with flexible strips. The edges of the s immer-blades 22 are adapted to. engage with a curved surface 23, formed on tlie upper portion of the inclined front plate of the tank 1.

The skimiffnin reel, made up of the blades 22, arms 21, an shaft 19, should be rotated in the direction of the arrow marked thereon in. Fig. 3, and said blades serve 'to skim off from the upper portion of the liquid 2 chaff and other light foreign materials which have been separated from the charge the said chaff onto theta-11k. Afteic rain and to disthe blades 22 have been moved out of the tank and have discharged the chaff they are brought into contact with a transverselyextended scraper-blade 24, which is carried by a pair of arms 25, loosely pivoted, at 26, to extensions of the side boards 3 and normally engaging with stops 27 on the said sideboard extensions. This scraper-blade 24 will yield'and move upward when engaged by the skimmer-blades 22 and will permit the latter to freely pass, but will scrape the same clean of any chaff or foreign material which may adhere thereto.

The driving connections shown are as follows: The numeral 28 indicates a drivingshaft wh ch is extended transversely through the machine and is mounted in suitable bearings in the sides of the seed-hopper 4. At one end the shaft 28 is provided with a pulley 29, and at its other end it is provided with a pulley 30 and sprocket 31. Motion may be imparted to the driving-shaft 28 by a powerdriven belt, (not shown,) but which would ,run over the pulley 29. The numeral 32 iii-- dicates a sprocket-chain that runs over the sprocket 31 and over a sprocket 33 on one end of the shaft 16, and thus imparts motion from the shaft 28 to the endless conveyor made u of the chains 12 and slats 17. The numera 34 indicates a crossed belt that runs i over the pulley 3O andover a pulley 35,

- therethrough ward. movement loose on ashort shaft 36, fixed to one side of the frame 1. A smaller rotate with the pulley 35. A belt 38 runs over the small pulley 37 and over a larger pulley 39, secured on one of the trunnions 20 of the skimmer-shaft l9, and thus provision is made for driving the skimming-reel at a "relatively slow speed with respect to the driving-shaft 28.

The skimmer-blades 22 are preferably perforated, so as to allow the water to freely run from the screenings picked up by said blades.

I have found. that in the treatment of oats and some other light grains they will not sink to the bottom of the tankcontainmg the germ-destroying liquid, but will float. on the liquid. In the treatment of these light grains the skimmer-blades 22 on their downwill positively force such ligl'it grains downward and cause the same to be completely submerged, but that such grain will mostly rise again to the surface after, however, having been completed with the germ-destroying solution, and hence properly treated. Under their upward movements the skimmer-l'flades will discharge the properly-treated floating grain in the same pulley 37 is fixed to in presence of manner as heretofore stated with respect to the light floating particles or chaff.

hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with a tank and an inclined deck leading upward therefrom, of an endless conveyer having transverse]y-extended slats arranged to pass upward over said deck to elevate the grain from said tank, and means for holding said slats slightly above said deck when they are moved upward thereover, whereby the grain will be elevated by said slats and the water carried by the grain from Y the tank will be permitted to freely run backward and downward over the said inclined deck, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with a. t nk, of means fendelivering grain into said tank and for elevating the washed grain out thereof, a rotary skimming device having one or more blades for lifting. the screenings or floating particles out of said tank, and a scraper normally lying in the path of movement of said skimmer-blade, and engageable therewith, to clean the same, substantially as described.

In a machine of the kind described, the combination with a tank, of means for delivering grain into said tahk and for elevating the washed grain out thereof, a rotary skiinming device having one or more blades for lifting the screenings or floating particles out of said tank, and a pivotallyanovable scraper normally lying in the path ofnnovement of said skimmenblade and engageable therewith, to clean the same, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the'kind described, the combination with a tank adapted to contain a liquid, of a grain-supply hopper arranged to deliver into said tank, a rotary skimmingreel having blades arranged to pass downward into the liquid in the vicinity of the pointwherethe grain is discharged from-said hopper into said tank, and to pass upward and out of the liquid in said tank at one extremity of the tank, to thereby discharge floating particles from the tank, and a scraper arranged to engage with the blades of said reel as they are moved upward from said tank, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature two witnesses.

OLE L. LARSON Witnesses:

If. D. Kimonn. F. D. MERCHANT. 

